Improvement in lawn-mowers



A. w. C. WI LL 'v-A M S. 2 Sheetf-Sheet 2.

improvement in Lawn-Mowers. No. 4,501. Patented Mag 2,1871.

. hereinafter described, with the series of re- 0 formed on the metalsocket c, which turns ATENT QFFICE.

, AARON WHITE COOK WILLIAMS, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN LAWN-MOWERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 1141,501, dated May 2,1871.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, AARON WHITE 000KWILLIAMS, formerly of Bridgeport, Connecticut, now of London, England,have invented certain Improvements in Lawn-Mowing Machines, of which thefollowing is a specification My invention consists, first, in thearrangement of an eccentric in combination with the handle for adjustingthe same to any desired elevation, so that the said handle may be raisedor lowered to the most convenient position for any person to propel themachine with the least exertion of strength secondly, in the peculiarconstruction and arrangement of adjustable springs at the front of themachine, whereby the cutters may be raised more or less above the groundto regulate the height of the machine, so that the grass maybe cut downclose to the roots, or may he simply trimmed off evenly at the top.

Referring to the drawing, Figure 1 is a plan or top view of my improvedlawn-mowing machine. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section on the line 00 as,Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3 y, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 isa vertical transverse section on the line 2 z, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 shows thehandle and its means of adjustment detached from the machine.

Like letters indicate the same parts throughout the drawing.

A is the frame of the machine, which may be of cast-iron or othersuitable material. B is the roller, which isconnected, by devicesvolving cutters C. The latter are strips or bars of steel, which arebent into the proper form and fixed around the horizontal shaft D. E isthe fixed blade or cutter.

As hereinbefore stated, a part of my invention relates to an eccentricfor adjusting the handle or rod of the machine to any desired height.

a is the said handle. b is the eccentric, which is supported in andbetween the jaws on the bar (1, and into which the handle a is inserted.The socket c is kept in place later ally on the bar d (but with acapability of turning thereon) by means of a screw, 0 whose point entersa groove, 01, in the bar d. The periphery of the said eccentric isarranged to bear against another bar, 6, extending across the machine.

By turning the eccentric b'upon its pin or stud b it is obvious that anyportion of its periphery may be brought to bear upon the bar 6, andtherefore the distance between the pin I) and the said bar may beincreased or diminished, and the handle is proportionately raised orlowered. The said eccentric is secured, when properly adjusted, by meansof the pin 1), which is screwed into one of the jaws, or provided-with anut, and whichcompresses the jaws c and causes them to pinch and bindthe eccentric b betweenthem.

Heretofore these handles or rods have been made of wood, the end beingfitted into the socket and secured therein by a pin passed through thesocket and rod.

It has been found that these wooden handles are liable to shrink orcontract, so that although when new they may fit properly and are firminthe socket, yet in a little time, in certain conditions of climate andtemperature, they will become loose, and will greatly impairtheconvenient working of the machine.

' Furthermore, the cross-piece or hand-bar at the end of the handle isliable to work loose and be displaced, which is another cause ofannoyance to those using the machine.

To remedy these inconveniences I make the handle a of metal tubing,(preferably iron,) which, not being liable to shrinkage, will neverbecome loose in its socket, and which, moreover, is slender and moresighlly in appearance than a wooden bar. I fasten this handlea in itssooketc by means of a thumbscrew, g. The crosspiece or bar a/ is ofwood. The end of the tube a is inserted in a hole bored in the saidcross-piece, and a rivet, h, is passed through the cross-piece and tube.In this manner I obtain a strong, durable, convenient, and cheap handlefor my improved machine.

The springs t are attached at i to the under side of the projecting sidepieces of the frame A. The said springs are curved or bent upward attheir outer end, as 'shown in Fig. 2. The ends of the frame pass throughslots in the springs to keep the latter properly in place. The upwardtendency of these springs is coun teracted by the adjusting-screws whichare passed through the frame and fitted in screw threads therein, or innuts properly arranged on the frame.

By turning these screws in one direction the springs'i may be presseddown, and by turning them in the other direction the springs are allowedto rise.

By this means the front of the machine is raised or lowered upon thesaid springs, and the height of the cut is regulated accordingly.

By means of the device which I employ as a substitute for the ordinaryratchet for connecting the roller with the revolving cutters, I stillfurther diminish the noise of the machine in working, and entirelyprevent the disagreeable clicking which has hitherto usually accompaniedthesemachines, and which, in some cases, prevents their use.

The said device, which is clearly shown in Figs.'3 and 4, is constructedand acts as follows: The pawls l are supported in the recesses ornotches m, formed in the end of the roller B. These recesses are soformed that the free end of the pawls may move for a short distance inthe arc of a circle which cuts the inner periphery n of the wheel n atthe point 11*, as indicated by the dotted line 1 2; consequently the endof the pawl cannot pass this point.

It must be borne in mind that the wheel 12,

is loose on the gudgeon B of the roller B, and therefore will not turnwith the roller except when its connection therewith is established bythe pawls Z.

The arrow indicates the direction in which the roller turns when themachine is cutting,

and it will be seen that the pawls l are so arranged that when theroller is turned in the direction of the arrow, the pawls, which arekept up to the periphery n of the wheel n by light springs 1 are soacted upon that they tend to turn in the arcs l 2, and to cross the lineof the periphery nof the wheel but as their crossing this line isimpossible, the effect of this action is to cause the pawls to gripe thewheel tightly and lock the wheel at and roller B together.

On the other hand, when the machine is drawn backward, the rollerturning in the opposite direction moves the pawls inward and away fromthe line n, thereby'instantly releasing'the wheel and depriving thecutters V of mot-ion.

It will be obvious that as the griping or locking is effected entirelyby the frictional contact of the surfaces, there will be no perceptiblenoise at this part of the machine in either the forward or backwardmotion of the same.

I claim- 1. The handle of a lawn-mowing machine, adjusted by means of aneccentric or cam, b,

arranged at the lower or inner end of the ban-- dle, andoperatingsubstantially as herein shown and described.

2. The eccentric or cam b, the socket c, with jaws c, the bars. 01 ande, and pinching-screw .1), arranged in combination with the handle

